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pugmomsandy

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  • in reply to: What is the difference. #35007 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Dried chicken is dehydrated chicken meat (like jerky). Chicken is unprocessed raw chicken with moisture content (like ordinary raw grocery store chicken). Chicken meal is processed chicken that has been heated and cooked down into a powdered meal. Then when added to make kibble it is cooked again. This one is the most processed of the three.

    For me, in a kibble, ideally I would chose chicken and dried chicken. Second choice would be chicken and chicken meal. Next choice is chicken meal as chicken by itself loses much of it’s weight after cooking so you end up with not much chicken after it is cooked down. There is a few good foods without meals like Now Fresh. Halo is ok too but it has alot of plant matter in it. And if you chose a food with just chicken, then you can always add a high protein topper to the kibble whether that’s canned food or fresh food like eggs and meat or sardines.

    It just really depends on what level of animal protein you prefer to feed your dog. I feed varying ranges.

    in reply to: Calories in Dog food? #35000 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Call the customer service number or send the company an email.

    in reply to: Requesting a review #34999 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    BJ’s website doesn’t list this food. Without access to the recipes and nutritional info, the food can’t be reviewed.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Will she eat tripe products? Whole mice?

    in reply to: Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus? #34948 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I haven’t had any issues with raw since the beginning which was more than two years ago. You can use raw or cooked meat with the premixes. I’ve made over 100 lbs of ground raw in one sitting before but clean up well right after. I make sure to thaw my frozen packages in a container in case it drips blood and then transfer the food into the container when it’s thawed enough to come out of its package. It’s just like thawing out a package of ground beef for yourself.

    in reply to: Primal vs Darwin #34947 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I started with chicken wings when I first introduced raw. Then chicken legs and turkey necks. Chicken necks are very small. My dogs are 22 to 27 lbs.

    in reply to: K9 Natural #34945 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    While I like the ingredients, it has too much fat for my inactive house dogs to eat it regularly. There’s more fat than protein in the lamb recipe. Don’t know about the other recipes. This food may be fine if your dogs are very active/working dogs. But Ziwipeak is pretty high in fat as well I think.

    in reply to: So confused about supplements #34934 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I use Sprngtime’s Longevity and Fresh Factor. Sometimes I use Only Natural Pet Super Daily Greens. Oh – and I’ve also used Dr Harvey’s supplement. I would probably use some from b-naturals too.

    in reply to: Primal vs Darwin #34861 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I’m sure Darwin’s is a great product and several people here use it. But with 2 large dogs you might check into feeding prey model for some meals such as feeding a whole chicken (including the feet and gizzards, liver and neck). Not every single meal is required to be complete and balanced. 20% or less can be unbalanced. There is a large raw forum at dogforums dot com and it has a very big “raw feeding pictures thread”. Also check out preymodelraw dot com. I also use a recipe book, “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” which is easy to follow and comes with a recipe to make a vitamin mix. You’d save a lot of money by buying bulk or family packs of ground beef or chicken and even bone-in pork chops. And they go on sale when it’s their sell-by dates. I also find whole raw sardines at the ethnic grocery store for $1.19/lb on sale. This is one meal for my dog and he only needs one sardine which is around 3 oz. the sardines come in various sizes. Another option is buying your own meat and using a premix.

    in reply to: Suggested Raw Dog Food Menus? #34860 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Pfeiner,

    There are several premixes you can use and you can feed more than one kind for variety. Some brands that have a premix are The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s (both product lines), Dr Harvey’s, Sojo’s, Wysong Uncanny, and Urban Wolf. The addition of an oil is a beneficial fat source which contains essential fatty acids (EFA’s) like omega 6 and 3.

    in reply to: So confused about supplements #34854 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Do don’t have to supplement every meal since the canned food is complete. Try NL and the joint supp for one meal, prob/enz in the second meal. Fish oil two or three times a week, especially if you’re using a human dose, he’ll get more than enough.

    in reply to: Grain free-diarrhea issues #34609 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I would try a different food with a different protein. Have you tried the Earthborn Meadow Feast or the Weight Control formulas? They have more fiber than Coastal Catch. Meadow Feast has 5 and Weight Control has 9. Canidae Pure Land has few ingredients although it is not a limited ingredient diet. Wellness has a limited ingredient food called Simple. I usually add ground psyllium instead of pumpkin for fiber. But it sounds like something in the Coastal Catch just doesn’t agree with him.

    in reply to: Safe Dog Treats #34594 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    My dogs like raw beef ribs (or Merrick Ranger Ribs) and cow hooves, tracheas, and Merrick GI Bones.

    in reply to: Not Showing Logged In For ONE Forum Here Only #34573 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Sometimes I hit refresh, and then I will show up as logged in.

    in reply to: Heartworms, need advice. #34572 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    The pugs get one immiticide shot on one day and another on the following day. Then they spend maybe 2 days more at the vet. None have been lame. A few have a “welp/welt?” but sometimes the non heartworm ones get that from the other vaccinations they got. The pugs I’ve had post heartworm treatment have been fat to almost emaciated, young and old, post URI or other ailment and they all received a full round of vacc’s as well. Half will be symptomatic afterwards – they have a cough/gag and that’s all for a few days to maybe 2 weeks. I’ve only had 4 out of 228 pugs die from probable pulmonary embolism. One was necropsied and he had a very bad case of worms. He was full of 12-18 inch worms, so he was severe. Some of the vets that do half-way slow-kill give doxy for a month prior to immiticide and then another month of doxy and then the second immiticide and that’s it. The rescue won’t do the non-immiticide slow kill. Takes too long and people are afraid to adopt a dog with heartworm.

    in reply to: Heartworms, need advice. #34506 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I can tell you my fosters get back to back immiticide injections, maybe 2 days at the vet and then to me for 30 days of crate rest.

    in reply to: What supplements do you use? #34482 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Fairly regularly I use Springtime Inc. Longevity, Fresh Factors, Bug Off Garlic (or Flea Free Supplement liquid), and I got some free bottles of their Advanced Hip and Joint and Joint Health Chewables at checkout. springtimeinc.com

    And a couple times a week, I give Mercola krill oil and ubiquinol, Swanson’s Dr. Langer’s probiotics or Mercola probiotics, Mercola digestive enzymes, Immunel (swanson), and a glandular product (currently Pet G.O.) http://mypetsfriend.com/pet-go.html and ProDen Plaque Off, vit E and C, and Mercola Bladder Support.

    When I make dehydrated foods, I like to add in some raw apple cider vinegar.

    I’ve just started to add some sprouted seeds to their raw food. 4 Legs of Love from SproutPeople.org. http://sproutpeople.org/just-for-pets/sprouts-for-dogs/

    in reply to: Choosing a brand of dry food #34380 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    You can add in some pure canned pumpkin puree (1 tablespoon or so) to his meals to add fiber. If you can’t find pumpkin puree, you can also add 1 teaspoon of chia seed. If not that either, try adding around 1/2 teaspoon of ground psyllium to his meals. Also, foods like Grandma Lucy’s and The Honest Kitchen or Sojo’s tend to have more plant matter and alot of people will post that their dog’s stool is larger on this type of food. I’ve used all 3 and the dog’s stools will be a little bulkier. You can just add it as a kibble topper too and make as little or as much as you want since you reconstitute the amount you want with water.

    in reply to: raw bones #34367 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Sometimes it depends on the size of your dog. Large dogs can eat RMB with each meal along with additional muscle/organs, etc. My small dogs can get 3 RMB a week because it would be a whole days worth of food in just one duck neck and 3 RMB a week won’t upset their “balance”.

    in reply to: Dehydrated or canned #34366 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    They’re both good also I believe the dehydrated/freeze dried ones are considered less processed or processed at lower temperatures. Just compare the guaranteed analysis and see which ones fit your bill. For my dogs, canned foods usually mean softer stool and the dehydrated foods usually mean a bigger stool and I tend to give digestive enzymes with dehydrated foods since they have so much chunky matter or veggie matter in it. Either issue isn’t a problem for me. The convenience of making just enough for one meal is also something to take into consideration. I really like that part of feeding dehydrated.

    in reply to: Homemade food ingredients? #34272 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Look into a premix. It has the veggies/vitamins in there. Just add your own meat and oil. Some premixes are Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mixes, Grandma Lucy’s and The Honest Kitchen.

    For homemade from scratch, you might consider “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” or “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” recipe books.

    Also dogaware.com has a homemade diet section.

    in reply to: Change in stool #34250 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I tried giving my fosters Merrick classic and grain free but had to cut it with something lower in protein as they didn’t tolerate it. They always do well on Nutrisource, though, grain and grain free.

    in reply to: Stool Issues – Dehydrated? #34185 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    What exactly is she eating?

    in reply to: Pseudo Grains #34083 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I don’t mind the pseudo grains or some grain as long as they’re gluten free like quinoa and brown rice and millet. And now I’ve started to “sprout” mine before cooking. If you don’t know about sprouting, it breaks up some of the anti-nutrients and activates more healthy enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, etc. I even ordered the 4 Legs of Love sprout blend from here: http://sproutpeople.org/ to add to my dogs’ food. I’ve even got kidney beans sprouting right now for tonights soup. Google “benefits of sprouting” for lots of info. But for kibbles, if it’s gluten free, I’m generally ok with it. There’s only 1 kibble that uses sprouted items and that’s Carna4.

    in reply to: Choices #33588 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Weruva doesn’t come in 60 or 90. That’s Wysong Epigen! Epigen 60 comes in Fish and Venison. Epigen 90 is just chicken. Unless they’ve added some since I last checked.

    in reply to: Choices #33582 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    My dogs love the Weruva Marbella Paella and Cirque de la Mer. Those are chicken free. I haven’t tried their Korubuta style cans, just Human Style.

    in reply to: Renal diet? #33343 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    You can get phone consultations from PetSynergy.com (Dr Anna Gardner, she even makes house calls when she’s in my area, very nice lady) and you can also email Mary Strauss of Dogaware.com through that website. I’m not sure if Lew Olsen PhD Nutritionist does consults but her site is b-naturals.com and there are several articles there.

    in reply to: Grain and White Potato Free Dog Foods #33105 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Instinct biscuits, Instinct Boost, Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch and Carnivore Kisses, Fresh is Best treats, and I think Etta Says chews, Dr Becker Bites.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    He can have psyllium with each meal. Start with 1/8 teaspoon per meal and see how he does and go from there. If the pumpkin isn’t helping him for diarrhea (BTW pumpkin is for both diarrhea and constipation), then I don’t see why you still can’t give it to him just because he likes the taste. For a 20 lb dog, I would normally use a tablespoon or two of pumpkin.

    in reply to: dry food suggestions for adopted Shih Tzu #33029 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    With the ingredients of Showtime, you could pick any food at the grocery store without food color and it would probably be similar, even the store brand of chain stores like Petsmart’s Authority regular line would be an improvement as would Iams Proactive Health.

    in reply to: Supplements for home cooked meals #33028 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I haven’t looked at the recipes you mentioned above, but there are premixes that contain vits/minerals that you can add your own meat/organs and oil to, and they make a complete/balanced meal. Some of these are Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen, Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer. One site’s recipes (homemadedogfood.com) uses DinoVite and a fish oil to make a meal complete. Dr Karen Becker’s recipe book contains a recipe for a vitamin mix. You’d have to buy some vitamins and grind them up and this can be done in bulk every couple months depending on how much food you make.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    psyllium absorbs water and makes the stool more formed and bulky.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Sometimes the dogs get a teaspoon of chia seed as well for loose stool.

    in reply to: Raw…ish for a problem dog #32982 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Can she eat something like Hound and Gatos canned food? It has one protein and it is complete and balanced. Maybe she can have this a couple times a week. The recipe book Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats by Dr Becker/Beth Taylor has simple recipes and a recipe to make a vitamin mix that you can make in bulk to make the meals balanced and you can use bone meal for the calcium.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I’ll use a tablespoon or two of brown rice to help with loose stools sometimes. A canned food with few ingredients I like is Hound and Gatos and also Tripett. Then Merrick 96% cans and Wellness Core and Wellness stews. I actually keep a pot of brown rice ready to serve since I’ve been fostering so many dogs with various degrees of food transition issues. Sometimes I use ground psyllium, 1/4 teaspoon.

    in reply to: Food to PUT WEIGHT on dog #32891 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    You can add Abady granular food to her current diet. It has between 700-800 calories per cup. Regarding the current diet of meat, rice and veggies, do you give a calcium supplement and include some fat source like fish oil or a multivitamin of some kind? There are also some kibbles that are higher in calories, around 500 or so per cup. Look for Timberwolf Platinum or other food marketed for performance dogs or puppies. They tend to be higher in calories and fat and protein.

    in reply to: Poops Too Much and in Their sleep??, Older Dogs #32870 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Yes, Nature’s Logic is ALS and uses millet and the dog kibble is small.

    in reply to: Looking for a dog food recommendation #32839 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Suziemorgs,

    Grandma Lucy’s (freeze dried) and The Honest Kitchen (dehydrated), Nature’s Variety Instinct LID (kibble), Canidae Pure Land (kibble), Wellness Core Wild Game (kibble), Nature’s Logic Lamb and Rabbit kibbles, Pioneer Naturals grain free Pork, Great Life Limited Ingredient Buffalo, Great Life grain free Buffalo. There’s several canned foods to chose from as well from Hound & Gatos, Merrick, Weruva Human Style (tuna and mackerel formulas), Wellness Simple (kibble and canned). Some of these might have chicken or beef fat or salmon oil, not the meat proteins.

    in reply to: See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix and Oil Question #32835 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Swanson even has an omega 3 product from calamari!

    in reply to: Poops Too Much and in Their sleep??, Older Dogs #32831 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I think I would just be glad they’re “solid”. Maybe you can try a pea-based or sweet potato-based food instead of lentil-based! A probiotic/digestive enzyme with feeds might be beneficial as well. I use grain-free but also grain-inclusive-but-gluten-free foods like Nature’s Logic or other food with just rice/millet/quinoa, no wheat/rye/oats. And check the ash content of the food. High ash can sometimes equate to solid little pebbles!

    in reply to: See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix and Oil Question #32828 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Yes. Coconut oil is a different oil than omega 3. It’s a bit confusing! This might help.

    http://www.antiaginganswers.net/healthyfats.html

    Looks like olive oil has more omega 6 than 3 so flax, chia, hemp oils will be more beneficial.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by pugmomsandy.
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    There’s a couple pre-mixes out there: Dr Harveys, Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer, CarnivoreRaw just to name a few. These allow you to continue to use just meat and some oil. Other than using premixes, I would suggest canned food.

    in reply to: See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix and Oil Question #32821 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Nature’s Logic has a sardine oil and I think you can buy anchovy oil as well. But if fish oil is out of the question, then my next oil would be to use olive oil and coconut oil, rotate with Udo’s oil (or similar).

    in reply to: Back to Basics or Merrick Grain Free? #32820 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    For mid-priced quality kibble, I use Nutrisource grain free ($49) and alot of folks say Victor is mid-priced as well. Are you talking about B2B high-protein or B2B grain free because the latter is medium-protein and lower in calories than the original B2B. Some dogs don’t handle a high organ meat food well but can adjust. Maybe you can mix it with the food they do well on. I have 2 out 6 that haven’t taken to Merrick well. They had no issues with Nature’s Logic and Core Wild Game. There is also Nature’s Select (home delivery) which has a Grain Free formula, 30 lbs for around $65. And Whole Earth Farms (by Merrick) has new grain free formulas as well out in stores now. It’s their budget brand. I rescue and use ALOT of foods! I have 4 open bags of kibble right now. I’m not opposed to using a “questionable” brand occasionally and I rotate foods so (1) the dogs don’t get used to one brand, (2) they build up a stronger gut, and (3) the dogs get a variety. And I always have something open that they do well on that I can mix in some other kibble. I hear you about price. Now that I have connections, I realize what the mark-up is!

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    You might look into Smack Salmon Fusion, Canidae Pure Sea, Horizon Legacy Fish, Horizon Pulsar Fish, Hi-Tek Naturals grain free fish, Zignature trout and salmon, Avoderm Revolving Menu trout, Core Ocean, Holistic Select grain free sardine, Nature’s Logic sardine. Not sure if they contain egg or not. There are a couple canned food options, too: Nature’s Logic, Hound & Gatos, Wellness Core and Wellness Simple, Weruva Cirque de la Mer and Marbella Paella.

    in reply to: Bones – New to this #32773 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Do you mean consumable bones or recreational bones? Femurs (weight bearing bones) are usually recreational and are too hard to eat and some hard chewers can break teeth on them but femurs have fatty marrow inside (be careful if he’s not used to eating fat) that has calories of course. I find that beef rib bones last a long time since they are too hard to eat for my small dogs and mine also like Merrick GI Bones. Kroger has started carrying small pork marrow bones sometimes. For consumable bones, I’ll give mine pork ribs and chicken parts including feet, duck necks, turkey necks. Merrick also carries raw turkey necks but it’s probably cheaper to get them at the grocery store. If they eat a whole neck or chicken leg, then I just give them some treats the rest of the day. They’ll still get one meal if they get a pork rib bone. I use “food” as treats (freeze dried raw nibletts, freeze dried liver or other meat). I weigh me dogs once a month and adjust accordingly. I usually give a RMB 3 times a week to eat otherwise, they chew on the gnawing bones anytime.

    in reply to: Urban Wolf vs. Bravo Beef Blend vs. Innova #32483 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Look into See Spot Live Longer dinner mixes or CarnivorRaw by Young Again Pet Food (they also have a good kibble). And I package my raw into packages that would last 3 days worth. I fill a gallon size freezer bag only half full so I can flatten it and so the food thaws quickly then I transfer it to a Tupperware once thawed out.

    in reply to: Just a "hello" and introduction! #32470 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Poor dog!

    There is some skin/yeast info at this site:

    http://www.nzymes.com/store/pc/index.asp

    I know some folks who have used it for their dogs and it worked, and then for some dogs, it didn’t. Also, you might consider giving an immune system supplement and feeding a mod/low carb diet (less than 40% carbs). Although, for some dogs, Natural Balance LID works for ear infections. Have you tried using Zymox ear cleanser and shampoo/conditioner?

    in reply to: Large breed dog food #32423 Report Abuse
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Nutrisource runs about $49 for their large bag. There is also the new Whole Earth Farms grain free which is rolling out to Petco or Petsmart for $40.

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Do you already fill the things with food like yogurt, dehyrated foods and kibble (layered or mixed together)?

Viewing 50 posts - 51 through 100 (of 865 total)